4 Years Ago
by LeeBarton
Summary: 4 years ago, Monica and Chandler met by chance and got married, only thing is 4 years later, Chandler is engaged to Kathy and doesn't remember meeting or even marrying Monica...Chapter 5 up. CM Review!
1. Chapter 1

I decided to try another fic, an idea I've had for awhile. I hope you enjoy.  
  
Things to Know: Chandler and Kathy are engaged, Chandler only knows Joey. He has met Monica before, but not through Ross. (they were never roommates, Chandler and Joey live in New York and I'm not sure were the others are going to live right now)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the friends characters.  
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
"I love you," Chandler said lovingly to Kathy as they were walking down the street.  
  
"I love you too," said Kathy giving Chandler a quick peck on the lips.  
  
Chandler and Kathy had been engaged for the past three months, soon they would be getting married, so this afternoon they were going down to the courthouse to get a marriage license. They had been dating three years and had finally gotten engaged. Four years ago they met at one of the New York airports, he was coming back from a business trip in Los Vegas. They had grabbed for the same bag at baggage claim. Chandler introduced Kathy to his roommate, Joey Tribbiani. Kathy and Joey started dating for almost a while year (An amazing thing for Joey, who always had one-night stands, and one-day lasting relationships) before Chandler finally told Joey he really liked Kathy, so Joey stepped out of the picture.  
  
Chandler and Kathy approached his lawyer's office. They entered and were greeted.  
  
"Mr. Bing, good to see you, please sit," his lawyer's gestured for them to sit. "Now how many I help you," he asked?  
  
"Well Kathy and I are here to get a marriage license" chandler said taking Kathy's hand and smiling at her.  
  
"Oh-okay," he said hesitantly and confused. "Well you can fill out the forms now, yet the license won't be useful until your divorce is final, and I am sorry but I don't remember getting any papers form you and your wife."  
  
The smile on Chandler's face disappeared. "Excuse me," he asked?  
  
Chandler could see the upset look on Kathy's face from the corner of his eye. "I really don't know or remember meeting a Ms. Geller, let alone marrying her, I've never been anywhere close to being married before Kathy."  
  
"Well 4 years ago I was mailed a marriage license for you, Chandler Bing, and a Monica Geller," the lawyer said handing Chandler the license.   
  
Chandler looked at the date, it was the day before he met Kathy at the airport.  
  
*****Flashback*****  
  
4 years ago…  
  
Chandler woke up to the sun shinning brightly through the window of his hotel room. Even before he opened his eyes he had a huge headache from a monstrous hangover. As he sat up in bed he rubbed his temples. When he opened his eyes he was suddenly aware that he wasn't wearing any clothes. He looked to the other side of the bed and let out a sigh of relief that there was no one beside him. He looked at the clock on the hotel nightstand, the red numbers read 10:45, checkout time was in 15 minutes, with that he got out of bed and packed his things.  
  
15 minutes later:  
  
"Was your evening pleasant for you, sir," the woman behind the desk asked.  
  
"Yes, it was fine," Chandler said smiling.  
  
"Okay, your bill comes to $150, and a woman left this note for you this morning," she said and slipped a note across the counter.  
  
"Thank you," he said just putting it into his suitcase not bothering to open it.  
  
2 hours later:  
  
Chandler was on a plane back to New York. He grabbed his bag looking through it for more Advil, his headache still bothering him, he found the note that had been left for him at the hotel, and picked it up and opened it. It read:  
  
Chandler,  
  
I'm sorry about leaving like this and I hope you can forgive me. Yesterday afternoon and evening were the best of my life and I'm very sorry if I have hurt you by leaving.  
  
Love,  
  
Monica  
  
Chandler thought back to yesterday but he remembered nothing and could only feel his headache grow worse as he thought about it. He decided that it must have just been a one night thing and left it at that.  
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
"Kathy," chandler yelled running out the doors of the courthouse trying to catch up to her. "Kathy," he said out of breath as he caught up.  
  
"How could you not tell me," she yelled.  
  
"Kathy, look I had no idea, I thought it was just a one-night stand, I don't remember one thing about that night." "Nothing, not what she looked like, not how we met," he said.  
  
"That's bad Chandler, if you don't remember anything than you can't find her," she said.  
  
"I'll find her I swear, no matter how long it takes," he pleaded with her..  
  
"No Chandler, I'm not going to wait for you, for all we know it could be 10 years before we could get married," she said.  
  
"Kathy," he pleaded.  
  
"60 days," she said.  
  
"What," he asked confused?  
  
"I will give you 60 days, that two months, to get her to sign those papers," she said.  
  
"Okay," he said and this time didn't go after her when she turned to leave. He had no idea what he was going to do now, he had no idea where he could even start.  
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
Please review and tell me what you think. 


	2. Chapter 2

4 Years Ago  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Thanks so much for all of the reviews! And a great thanks to mncali who was a huge help with my story!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.  
  
**********************  
  
Chandler entered his lawyer's office the next day.  
  
"Mr. Bing, it's good to see you again," he said. "How may I help you?"  
  
Chandler took a seat in front of his lawyer's desk.   
  
"Well, do you maybe have any kind of information on where I could find Ms. Geller," he asked?  
  
"I'm sorry Mr. Bing, but all I know is her name," he said.  
  
Chandlers face fell he had no idea what to do now.  
  
"But," his lawyer said. "I know someone who can, he's not a detective or anything, but he can find out where she is by her air flight history." "I'll give him a call and I'll let you know if I get anything."  
  
"That would be great," Chandler said relived. "But how long will it take," he asked remembering the dead line Kathy had given him.  
  
"If you need it as soon as possible, then it will probably be about a week before I'll have anything, is that alright," he asked?  
  
"Yeah, that's great," he said.  
  
*************************************  
  
-One week later-  
  
-53 days left-  
  
Chicago, she lived in Chicago. Chandler sat in his seat on the airplane clutching his ticket, every so often he would look up and watch the other passengers exit the plane. Chandler didn't want to move, he wanted to just turn around and go back home, but he had to do this. He got up his nerve and exited the plane with the remaining few. Chandler picked up his bags at baggage claim and called for a taxi.  
  
"Where to," the taxi driver asked?  
  
"Chicago Marriott," he said.  
  
Chandler sat there in his room looking over the information in his hands...  
  
Monica Geller Chef at Alessandro's  
  
132 W. Clark St. 926 Washington St.  
  
Apt. #20 Chicago  
  
Chicago, IL  
  
He once again started to get up his nerve, You have to do this, he kept telling himself again over and over. He got up off the bed and walked out the hotel room door.  
  
The restaurant wasn't far from her apartment, he had stopped by there right before he went to the restaurant. Her apartment looked top quality. He couldn't believe how nice just the outside of her building looked. Chandler stepped into Alessandro's, he was immediately greeted by a waiter.  
  
"Do you have a reservation," he asked.  
  
"No, I-um-was in here a couple of days ago, and I never got a chance to compliment the chef," he said. He had thought about what he should say when this moment finally came days before. He decided that this was the best way to go.  
  
"So you would like to do that now," the waiter asked?  
  
"Yes, if it isn't to much trouble," Chandler replied.  
  
"Not at all, please follow me," the waiter said with a smile.  
  
Chandler followed the waiter through the crowded restaurant. He followed him through a swinging door that had an "Employees Only" sign. On the other side of the swinging door was a short hallway, and at the end was a door that said "Storage". There was another door in between the entrance to the hallway and the storage room.  
  
"Please," said the waiter, "wait here for a moment."  
  
Chandler stood in front of the door leaning against the wall parallel from the door.  
  
The door opened and a woman in a chef's uniform walked out with a smile on her face, but when she stood there for a few seconds the smile disappeared and her eyes became wide.  
  
Chandler just couldn't stop staring at her, she was beautiful, her long bleak hair pulled back just enough so it wasn't in her face. How did he get her to marry him, was all he was thinking of.  
  
His gaze was broken when she practically ran back into the kitchen. Yep, that's her, he thought. 


	3. Chapter 3 Flashback

***Flashback***  
  
-How they met-  
  
Chandler had a conference in Los Vegas. He was taking a flight out of New York to Chicago, from Chicago he would board another plane to Los Vegas.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Flight 186 to Los Vegas is how boarding rows 4-12," the flight attendant announced.  
  
Chandler looked at his ticket, Row 5. He got up and grabbed his carry-on bag and walked to the end of the already formed line of people.  
  
Chandler took his seat, he had the aisle seat, on the left. He looked to his left, there were two other seats, the window had already been taken by a dark blonde, almost brown haired woman engrossed in her book.  
  
"Rachel," someone yelled.  
  
The woman looked up and smiled. "Monica," she said.  
  
Chandler then looked in the direction the voice had come from. It was a beautiful woman with jet-black hair, and the most beautiful blue eyes Chandler had ever seen. Chandler kept gazing at her up until the point when she stopped right in front of him. He looked away embarrassed. From the corner of his eye he could see her smile, as she slide in beside her friend, Rachel. Chandler glanced quickly at her as she greeted her friend and he went back to a magazine he had picked up earlier at the airport gift shop.  
  
About half an hour later he had read through his magazine for the second time. From the corner of his eye he could see that the girl named, Monica's friend was asleep and Monica was leaning back against her seat and her head was tilted towards him with her eyes concentrated on his magazine article.  
  
"Do you find the Bennifer publicity stunt interesting," Chandler said looking at Monica.  
  
She didn't respond right away, she blinked a couple times before looking at him. "What?" Chandler gestured towards the article.  
  
"Oh, no I was just noticing that's like the second time you've read through that and I was just curious as to what it was that was so interesting," she said.  
  
"Wow, you were that bored," he said.  
  
Monica smiled, she looked at Rachel. "Yeah, I guess so," she said.  
  
Chandler laughed slightly. "Ah," he said. "I'm Chandler, Chandler Bing," he said holding out his hand.  
  
"Monica, Monica Geller," she said taking his hand and offering him a smile.  
  
**************  
  
And that's how they met.  
  
Please Review! 


	4. Chapter 4

4 Years ago

Chapter 4

Well I'm back, finally, with another chapter of this. It's been almost a whole year since I"ve updated this fic. Well first off I apologize for not doing anything with this. I've been going through depression mode with my best firend and just the other day someone reviewed this fic asking for an update. So after I re-read all of my old reviews I really got in the mood to start writing again, so hopefully I'll get back on track.

Sidenote: Just thought that I would comment quick on how I have written it so Chandler remembers nothing, well I know its pretty far fetched but just work with me here. Also I"m gonna be switching POV's.

Disclaimer: I don't own Friends or its charaters.

Monica's POV

Monica leaned back against the wall by the swinging door. She couldn't believe it, he was here, searching for her, and sure enough he had found her. Monica really shouldn't have been surprised, she had spent the first whole year since then expecting him to walk through her apartment door either damanding an answer for him as to why she left or else maybe once again telling her he loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. It never happened though, so Monica simply went on with her life, she never dated, just because she wasn't having any sort of contact with her husband didn't change the fact that she was a married woman who had vowed under God that she would remain faithful to this man the rest of her life. So now that he had returned what was she to do. Monica wanted to stand there contemplating what she should do about him, but she was getting sick to her stomach just watching the new batch of waiters attempt to keep her kitchen organized.

'Really, she thought, how many times must someone need to be shown the correct way to arrange forks before they get it right.' So with that she went back to work.

"So she just looked at you and went right back into the kitchen," Joey said to Chandler over the phone.

"Yeah, she took one look at my and just sprinted back into the kitchen like she couldn't get away from me fast enough," Chandler responded plopping down on his hotel bed.

"Well when you saw her, did you remember anything about marrying her," Joey asked.

"No, absolutely nothing, she did look familar but I mean of course she should since she seems to be my wife," Chandler said.

"She was hot right, tell me she was hot, of all the mistakes you made that evening at least tell me you picked a hot girl to get drunk with and marry," Joey pleaded with Chandler over the phone.

"She was beautiful, maybe even more beautiful than Kathy. Chandler said remembering how stunning she had looked. "We must have been really drunk that night to have done something that stupid."

"She sure must have been to have married you," Joey responded.

"Thanks Joe," Chandler responded sarcasitcally.

"You're Welcome," said Joey, Chandler rolled his eyes. Joey was great, his best friend, but he was just a tad bit slow when it came to some things.

"Listen, I have to get going Joe, she should be getting off work soon so I am going to try and talk to her when she gets back to her apartment building." "Also if you can, while I'm gone, try and talk to Kathy for me, she's not picking up her phone or returning my calls, so if you could just talk to her, tell her I love her and remind her that she loves me."

"Sure, no problem man, bye," Joey said and the next thing Chandler heard was the noise of a click letting him know Joey had hung up.

(This is going to be switching between Monica's POV and Chandler's POV)

Monica entered her apartment building, first stopping by her mailbox and getting today's mail, then started to head towards the elevator before a man who she knew did not live in this apartment building, let alone the entire city, caught Monica's eye.

'Oh God, how the hell did he get into my apartment building,' Monica said never faltering in her movement towards the elevator, but trying to avoid his gaze.

'Okay here she comes, just don't let her run from you this time, you have to get this over with and get back to the woman you really want to spend the rest of your life with,' Chandler told himself standing next to the elevator watching her as she continued to walk towards him.

'Just don't look at him, don't say anything to him, and just get on the elevator, if he follows you then just slam your apartment door in his face,' Monica told herself reaching the elevator and pressing the 'up' button.

'Okay so obviously she is trying to ignore me, Chandler thought,'Why can't I talk to her, it must be that thing that Joey says I have, where everytime I get near a beautiful woman I stammer.'

Monica and Chandler both heard the elevator ding followed by the elevator doors opening. Monica stepped in followed by Chandler, with not a word spoken between the two, you could hear a pin hit the floor it was so silent. The elevator doors then closed. It started moving upwards and just when both Monica and Chandler had both worked up the nerve and decided to break the silence between them, the elevator studdenly came to a screeching hault, causing Monica to fall into Chandler's arms, which in turn caused Chandler to land the elevator floor with Monica on top of him.

'Oh God,' Monica thought letting out an antangonized groan.

'This can't be good,' Chandler thought as the emergency lights came on in the elevator.

Well think that this is a good stopping point, it's gonna be an easy place for me to pick up on so hopefully I'll have another chapter up soon. Hope you enjoyed, please Read and Review.

LeeBarton


	5. Chapter 5

4 Years Ago

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Yada, Yada, Yada, I don't own anything...blah, blah, blah.

Monica and Chandler sat in silence on opposite ends of the elevator. After the power had gone out Monica had started to freak out, desperately wanting to get out of the elevator. She started to kick and punch the elevator doors. As she pulled her arm back to give the door one big hit her elbow contacted with Chandler's eye, who at the time had been standing behind her watching her tantrum.

After that things very quickly quieted down. "How's your eye," Monica asked?

"Could be a lot better," Chandler shot back.

"Could have been avoided if you hadn't been behind me," Monica pointed out.

"Well I'm sorry if I wasn't to keen on the idea of listening to you kicking and screaming at the elevator doors for the next few hours," Chandler said.

"What did you think I would remain calm, I'm stuck in an elevator during a power outage--and with you of all people," Monica complained.

"Oh my god, you just don't shut up do you," Chandler interupted.

"Yeah like that's anyway to talk to your wife," Monica said.

"Hey, I didn't even know you were my wife until a week ago, you--you've at least known the whole time that we were married," Chandler defended.

"My god, are you still going to be throwing this at me years from now," Monica questioned.

"I'm sorry, years, as in the future...no,no,no, there isn't going to be any "years from now." There isn't even going to be days from now, we're getting a divorce now, I have the papers at my hotel room and we are going to go there and sign them right away," Chandler demanded.

"Ya know, the last time you invited me to your room it was our wedding night. The next time I go anywhere near your room its not going to be to sign divorce papers. I refuse to divorce you," Monica stated.

"Why won't you just sign the damn divorce papers, Monica?!" Chandler said raising his voice and becoming very stern.

"Because I love you!" Monica yelled back at him.

Chandler's voice was suddenly caught in his throat. 'She loved him,' it was interesting how he had never thought that could be her reason. He then remembered why he never thought that.

"If you love me then why did you walk away," Chandler questioned, his voice had come back to him but it was very faint and weak now.

Monica hestitated, "I was scared. I woke up and freaked out. I've never been someone who makes rash decisions like that. The more time I had alone with my thoughts the more frightened I became. My parents have never thought much of me, what would they think if I just showed up at their door on morning, told them I was married to a man I had met less than 48 hours pryor. I mean, you lived in New York, my job and life was in Chicago. Chandler I had a boyfriend! And you had Kathy!"

Chandler's first reaction was to question her about this boyfriend, until her last sentence had sunk in. 'And you had Kathy,' Kathy, how did she know about Kathy. He hadn't even met Kathy until the day after he had met Monica.

"How do you know about Kathy?" Chandler asked confused.

"What, you seriously think I went 4 years without trying to find you?" Monica asked. Chandler responded with a slight shrug.

"For over a year I kept a low profile thinking maybe you would come for me. Whether to ask for a divorce or...who knows--maybe I thought you would want to try and make this work. You never came though, so I decided to go after you. And when I found you..." Monica trailed off, tears glistening in her eyes, threatening to fall.

"I was with Kathy," Chandler finished. Monica tearfully nodded.

Soon Monica's light tears turned into sobs and Chandler couldn't help but to want to comfort her. As he reached for her he could hear the faint sound of the elevator doors sliding open. When he finally go to ther she flung herself out of his range.

"Get...out," she bearly croacked out.

"Monica," CHandler softly pleaded taking a step towards her.

"No!" She yelled still sobbing hysterically. "Leave...get...away...from...me!"

And with that Chandler walked out of the elevator and headed towards the staircase, looking back in time to see Monica fall to the floor of the elevator, tears still falling from her eyes. As he watched her he suddenly saw flashes that looked similar to what he was looking at now. In his head he could see Monica, a slightly younger looking Monica, in an elevator somewhat different from this one, in this memory, she was also on the ground of the elevator, crying.

Well I got really lazy editing this chapter so there are definately some mistakes I didn't catch in here. Also hope that the ending makes sense, hopefully in future chapters it will. Review and maybe I'll be a bit faster in getting this updated. LeeBarton


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